Queen Ann's Lace
by Alcetore
Summary: Mikasa's fiance has fallen sick with an incurable illness. She must travel to the human world in search of a cure that is nonexistent in the seven seas. Along the way she meets a retired corporal who's brooding presence makes her want to stay on land a little longer. [Mermaid AU]
1. Chapter 1

The delicate fingers of Mikasa's fiance weakened in her grasp. He turned his face away from her, not wanting to reveal his grief.

The situation the couple suffered in was a huge mess. Mikasa needed to marry him in order to provide a backbone for the kingdom. Without the other half all the merpeople would be in mass hysteria. She also wanted to finally start a family.

She flicked her white fin briskly. In the other quarters of the sunken ship, the woman found her worried parents arguing in sign language. It felt like a much easier way to communicate underwater.

She crept up to them. Her parents glanced at her in question.

 _(There may not be an existing cure here, but alas, I can assure you there must be something to help him that exists in Elsewhere.)_

Mikasa's father frowned while her mother raised a hand to her chest as if to faint.

( _You will not speak of such wretched words; Elsewhere is where those flesh eating giants exist!)_

 _(Father, what other choice do we have? Please let me go in search for a cure.)_

 _(My word is final! You will do no such thing.)_

Her mother pointed a jabbing finger behind Mikasa.

 _(Go to your room!)_

Frustrated, the younger woman glided out of the tense room. Instead of going to her chambers she sneaked outside where Annie lay on a rock plucking a sea anemone.

 _(He loves me not, he loves me. He loves me–)_

Mikasa sat next to her.

 _(Who loves you?)_

Annie threw the plant aside.

 _(Nobody.)_

Mikasa decided to drop the subject. She watched as Annie lazily rolled over. The blonde's purple tentacles curled in the light current of the water.

 _(I don't know what to do. If the prince dies, there will be no king!)_ Mikasa fessed up.

Annie fingered the moss thoughtfully. _(…You could always improvise.)_

 _(How?)_

 _(That's for you to figure out.)_

As Annie faced Mikasa she could see the gears working in the oriental's mind. When she left, the blonde revealed a cunning smile.

Later that evening Mikasa waited until her parents were fast asleep. She sneaked past all the guards in the perimeter and finally made it across the boarder of the ship. She swam in the shadows of the merpeople's village into the middle of nowhere.

In reality she honestly didn't know what she was doing. There subsided no plan except for a few gold coins in her flimsy satchel. She figured the medicine would be intact with the humans. If they hadn't already been eaten that is.

Mikasa fastened the bag hanging from her shoulder. It was going to be a long way to civilization.

—

The mermaid collapsed on a boulder rising from the currents. She felt exhausted beyond her time. The sun shined down on her. It's warmth bestowed physical relief on her tired body. Pretty soon her tail would dry up and transform into two long legs. At least that was what she thought they were called.

Mikasa flopped over on her back. She raised a hand to her face, shielding her skin from the rays of the sun. A beach rested up ahead. If she waited for her transformation to complete she could paddle up to the shore before the salt water restored her fins.

She faced the shimmering sand. All there was were a couple of palm trees. No man eating giants in plain sight. Maybe there existed a town further down in the uncharted territory.

Mikasa flicked the papery scales off of her pale legs. She slid from the rock, careful not to scratch herself and free styled all the way towards the beach.

She had no idea somebody was watching her.

At the shore, Mikasa crawled on her knees to dryer sand huffing and puffing. As she reached a dune she hung her head in exhaustion. Her legs gave up from under her. She had not been well rested in her journey.

Thus, when glancing upwards, she came face to face with a man peering down at her. All the blood in her body froze as a blade suddenly rested against her neck.

Instinct kicked in and Mikasa jerked violently, doing everything she could to get away from the human. He snarled a hand through her hair and slammed her against a sandy alcove. Mikasa flailed but instantly stilled when the blade met her pale neck once again.

"I've might have demolished every single titan there is but to hell if you think I'm going let another threat wipe out the human race," he snarled.

Mikasa shifted in her position as best she could. Whatever he was trying to tell her did not seem friendly. She had learned a few European words thanks to an old fisherman, just not enough to understand the enemy before her. The sign language her people practiced had no correlation with English.

The man's withering glare deepened in blatant impatience. He pressed the sword deeper into her flesh, causing the woman to gasp.

"Can you speak? You sure are good at pulling off a human exterior, not that you're fooling anyone, angel fish."

"Fish," she repeated.

Mikasa knew that foreign word as well as _human._ She parted her lips nervously, slightly licking them. The male's pupils expanded, though not before tightening into suspicious slits once more.

"Well? You're not making this easy for yourself."

"Human," she voiced thickly, her accent humming, "human fish."

"Hmph. I suspected as much that you don't what you are."

The man released her and Mikasa slumped to the ground, a bit unsure of how to walk properly. He sheathed his sword in a metallic like case. Mikasa tilted her head at it curiosity. The gear reminded her of the material her family's sunken ship was made of.

"Tch. Name's Levi."

"Leviathan?" She asked.

So the man was a sea monster too?

"No, just Levi. Don't wear it out."

What?

Levi regarded the specimen coldly. She certainly didn't seem like a threat. If anything, she looked harmless sitting there in her bare skin. Pathetic, even. His brow softened.

Levi kneeled down to her level. He brushed a couple of her inky strands aside. Mikasa leaned in; the girl was starved of physical affection.

"I think you had better come with me," Levi said in a cynical but softer tone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well in my opinion she is just the cutest, most fascinating thing ever!" Hanji gushed.

She clasped her hands together, squealing. Levi frowned; the general's hold on the girl's nape refused to loosen.

"An easy appearance shouldn't fool you! What if she's some find of abnormal titan, _hmmm_?"

"I just ran some tests on her; she shouldn't be of the sort."

"I'm doubtful. What should I do with it?"

"Why don't you show her around town? You could use a girlfriend!"

Levi's temple bulged. "I fucking do not!"

"Levi. A broom is not company."

Erwin entered the room. "What's seems to be the commotion here?"

Levi jerked his chin at black haired woman. " _That."_

"Is she a titan?"

"Well- _no_. But..."

"Then I don't see the problem here except for the nudity."

Levi sputtered. "Excuse me?!"

Erwin shrugged. "Now run along, you could use some vitamin D."

"Don't forget to bring her back!" Hanji called after them, "I wanna run some more tests on her."

Outside, Levi placed both his palms on either side of Mikasa's wheelchair. He leaned into her personal space until his nose brushed against hers. Mikasa scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. Was he leaning in for a kiss?

"Don't think I'm doing this because I like you. You may have fooled Hanji and Erwin, but _me_ , oh you will never lay one on me!" Levi swore, "and whatever innocent act you pulling off isn't going to work either. I have my eye you."

He sure sounds angry, Mikasa thought, dissing the idea of his preferred kiss. But oh, how sexy that accent sounded, and his deep voice melded together with it so perfectly than any other siren song, especially when furious. She sighed as she watched him go on and on.

"...And that's all I have to say. Oh yeah, and you stink," he finished, crossing his arms.

Levi glanced elsewhere, finally giving his mouth a rest. "I guess I should find you some clothes. Tch, move, and I'll personally cut off your arms and legs."

She stuck her tongue out at him when the guy wasn't looking. In the warm horizon the sun began to set. The sky bestowed a lovely sunset of light pastel colors. Mikasa hoped a tsunami would not outbreak because of her disappearance. She was supposed to be a sea queen after all. At least being captured by the humans wasn't turning out to be so bad. The giants were no where in sight. They had to have died.

Levi swung open the door. He tossed a satin dress over her shoulders. "Put that on."

Mikasa pushed the dress to the ground. The color left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Oi! Now I have to wash it again."

Levi growled at her smug expression. "I'll be right back."

Mikasa followed him in the wheelchair to the dressing room. She watched him pick out a white frilly gown and presented it to her.

"How about this one?"

She made a face.

"Hm. Me neither."

Levi placed the material back on it's hanger. As he busied himself in selecting another dress, Mikasa wheeled herself in front of a full body mirror. Her hair had grown longer in past few years. She fingered a damp lock, wishing to snip the strands of hair.

Levi showed her a pair of pants and flannel shirt. "This is all there is unless you want to go outside bare."

The girl's face lit up. She motioned for the clothes, happier with the selection. Levi tried, really tried, not to look at her while she dressed. Mikasa flashed him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, yeah, try not to get a your knickers in a knot."

At the expanding market Levi wheeled her around the semi crowded area. Many civilians turned their heads at the duo, more so to the mysterious stranger. Mikasa glanced around in awe. This appeared just like home yet better! Levi smirked slightly; the girl seemed to be having a field day. She pointed to a stand where a teddy bear sat on a shelf, then peered at Levi with fluttering eyes.

He grimaced in response. "You're dreaming if you think I'm getting you a souvenir."

Mikasa whined a light guttural sound deep in her throat. Her dainty fingers tugged his jacket sleeve in protest.

"I'm glad to see you're meeting new people," a familiar, annoying voice trilled.

Levi groaned as Jean stretched next to him. The young boy immediately blushed at the raven haired woman in the wheelchair.

"So who's the skirt?" Jean queried.

Levi shrugged. "All I know is that she's not from around here."

"Where is she from then?"

"Like hell if I know. Shouldn't you be cleaning something?"

"Oh yeah."

When Jean left Levi considered buying her the stupid teddy bear. "Spoiled brat."

He handed Mikasa the stuffed animal. She squeezed it tightly in her arms, a secretive smile plastered on her lips. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Let's go get some tea."

A waitress led them to a table near the ocean view at a seafood diner. Levi pointed at his chest. "Levi," he stated, then pointed at her as is asking her name too.

Mikasa caught on. A flicker of understanding danced across her black gems. "Mikasa," her light vocals presented proudly.

"At least we're getting somewhere," Levi murmured.

The waitress came back holding a dish of cocktails and tea. Levi sipped his green tea while stealing glances of this 'Mikasa' digging into the shrimp.

"She's very pretty," a waiter complimented when they were about the leave.

Levi clutched the handles of the wheelchair a bit more possessively.

"You know if we're going to make progress about why you're here, you're going to have to learn some good old English," Levi berated once at his beach house.

He helped Mikasa get accommodated in a guest room. Hanji would just have to wait another day. "No fishy business. The bathroom is over there."

Levi exited the suite to go prepare the study table for tomorrow whilst she fiddled with how the bathtub worked. Once in the polished porcelain, she switched on the a small pearly knob at the end. The cold water gushed everywhere on her form. Mikasa relaxed as she sank deeper in the tub. She gazed at the teddy bear by the windowsill.

She did not feel captive or like she was being held against her will. The word 'welcomed' felt more appropriate. Learning how to say it in English would have be a goal of hers so she could thank Levi later.

A loud strike of thunder forced her to jump out of her reverie. Mikasa sat up. So her ocean _had_ decided to through a tantrum. She just hoped the damage wouldn't be as bad...


End file.
